Cold Molecules - A New Playground for Quantum and Chemical Physics

Professor Jun Ye, JILA, NIST and University of Colorado

Molecular interactions control everything from making new materials to generation of energy. However, complex molecular structure has challenged accurate study and precise control of their interactions. A new scientific frontier is emerging in recent years by cooling molecules to low temperatures, aiming to achieve fundamental new insights on how molecules interact and evolve. When a quantum gas of molecule is produced, we can arrange molecules in particular spatial configurations and precisely manipulate their interactions via external electromagnetic fields. The long-range dipolar interaction between trapped molecules presents an interconnected spin system where correlated many-body dynamics can be explored.